


Fire and Brimstone

by HecatesVessel



Category: Avengers: The Initiative, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Action, Action & Romance, Adorable Hulk (Marvel), Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Angst and Fluff and Smut, BAMF Natasha Romanov, BAMF Phil Coulson, BAMF Tony Stark, Bucky Barnes Feels, Bucky Barnes's Metal Arm, Ceiling Vent Clint Barton, Deaf Clint Barton, Epic Battles, Eventual Smut, F/F, F/M, Good Loki (Marvel), Kitsune, Loki (Marvel) Has Issues, Loki (Marvel) Needs a Hug, M/M, Multi, Nick Fury Knows All, Nick Fury is a Good Bro, Other, Parallels, Polyamorous Character, Polyamory, Post-Serum Steve Rogers, Pre-Serum Steve Rogers, Protective Bruce Banner, Protective Hulk (Marvel), Protective Natasha Romanov, Protective Thor (Marvel), Protective Tony Stark, Shameless Smut, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Superpowers, Tony Stark Has A Heart, cannon-divergent, hulk has a soft spot for the reader, kyubbi no kitsune
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-02
Updated: 2021-01-02
Packaged: 2021-03-11 05:42:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,160
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28499994
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HecatesVessel/pseuds/HecatesVessel
Summary: She’s had centuries of pain, loss, torture, wounds and glimpses of love. She’s seen her soulmates die, either by the hands of another or natural causes. Once by falling from a train. However, it’s 2012 and she’s faced with meeting all of them and having them all at once. All eight of them, some of which aren’t from this world. How will Akane, a creature that seems to be out of Japanese lore yet not, be able to handle all that is going on. She’s only had two soulmates, at most, at a time in her 676 years on this planet. This is new ground, uncharted, but she’ll do everything in her power to keep them all. And save them if she must.
Relationships: Avengers Team/Original Female Character(s), Avengers Team/Reader, Bruce Banner/Thor, Bruce Banner/Tony Stark, Clint Barton/Natasha Romanov, James "Bucky" Barnes/Reader, James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers, Loki/Tony Stark, Natasha Romanov (Marvel)/Reader, Steve Rogers/Natasha Romanov, Steve Rogers/Tony Stark, Thor (Marvel)/Reader, Tony Stark/Reader
Comments: 3
Kudos: 30





	Fire and Brimstone

It had been a... _ long  _ time. I had donned many faces, identities, and lived in just about every place that had a multitude of historical significance. The specific date of my birth is lost to time, however I’m roughly 676 years old. I’ve met six out of eight soulmates who’s marks have followed me during all that time. Four of which I’ve met in two of their life-times. Currently, those four are living in this time, but only one knows how to contact me. It is her, my little spider, who warned me ahead of time that I needed to come in. Nick Fury had too much pride to do it himself, although it would have been odd to those around him if he had made the personal call. It wasn’t a call I was expecting at all; being told “Пояс Ориона падает” (Orion’s belt is falling) with slight panic in a voice I’ve known to only mask all emotions had my blood run cold.  _ Something unnatural is going on and I need you here...it’s not safe for anyone.  _ That’s what it meant and all arrangements were made to protect my alternate identity in 45 minutes. A car was sent, probably courtesy of Fury, with an hour of the call. I couldn’t panic or react until I saw Natasha with my own eyes, until I could make sure that she was still whole, I wouldn’t panic. 

The early morning hours were slowly brightening to dawn as I arrived on the craft of sorts; the town car pulling up the fiery being I know as my soulmate and suddenly I’m hit with her anxiety and worry through her bond. Her bond alone... _ Oh, God….where is he...he’s never left her to herself in this life… _ I saw the moment she registered my alarm as her face drew into a grim expression.  _ Someone has him.  _ Fact sparked my fury and vengeance was top priority, but all I did was fly out of the car and into her personal space. I never initiated physical contact, but I looked into her eyes and reached up to caress her cheek. It was an intimate gesture, but what she truly needed would wait till I was briefed and left alone. 

“Take me to Fury,” was all that needed said before she was retrieving my belongings from the car. A well loved and traveled leather suitcase along with a long hard shelled tube that had a cross body harness installed on it, we went to the upper level of the bridge. Subtle rigidity lined Fury’s shoulders, most of his demeanor still under that trademark spy personality of his, but with careful eyes one could watch the minute shifting of his form. Appearing to turn casually, he faced me and began. “Thor’s brother, Loki, has the Tesseract and compromised both Erik Slivig and Agent Clint Barton. We are currently trying to get their location, however, we’re bringing others in to make that process easier. Romanov is flying out later today to gather one specialist while Agent Coulson is getting the other...someone you’re acquainted with, Miss. Yamamoto.” His singular eye bores into mine at the insinuation.  _ Well, this is going to be a delightful reunion... _ thoughts of the man I lost to ice and time came to the forefront of my mind as I nodded to him. I clasp onto Natasha’s hand so she could lead me to her quarters, but I pause to look over my shoulder and warn the Cyclops' of a man, “I’m dropping all masks for this, Fury. Be prepared.” With that, I took my leave, not catching the way his eye widened at my statement.

The trip to Natasha’s quarters was quick and quite a few agents passed us by, but as soon as that door closed, my luggage was tossed on her twin sized...cot(?) and her body enveloped me in a tight hold.  _ Oh, my little spider, I’m so sorry I’m just now getting here... _ I always hate that we can’t be around each other as much as we want to, but I always felt better that our other ‘mate Clint was there to care for her.  _ But someone took him from us. _ Natasha always held her cards in close, holding everything in until it tore her apart inside. She carried much more pain than she let go, but someone taking Clint, her anchor, was destroying the foundation she relied on. Slowly, I glide my fingertips up her arms and around her shoulders, letting out light comforting sounds to try and help soothe her. “Мой милый паучок, мне так жаль ... мы вернем его, обещаю,” (My sweet little spider, I'm so sorry...we'll get him back, I promise) I coo into her neck. My words comfort her only a little bit as she nods and kisses my cheek. Pulling back from her a bit, I smile and comb my fingers up the nape of her neck and bring our foreheads together. We stay like that for a moment before she looks into my eyes and opens her lips, “Моя лиса, who was Fury talking about? I know I only have an hour or two, but the only person Phil is picking up is…” she doesn’t finish her statement since she put two and two together.  _ Steve Rogers.  _ Starting again, “How do you know the Captain?” Memories play in my mind of the few years before the war and during which I spent loving Steve and our other soulmate. “Моя любовь, that is too long of a story to get into, but I will say I found him and James about 5 years before the war...and I fell from the train with James...I went by the name of Penelope Roberts back then. After this is over I’ll tell you whatever you want to know,” I watch as recognition of that name flashes in her eyes. There’s pictures of me with them both during the war, hanging in the Smithsonian, but I was never listed there or in the history books. The name is in James’ and Steve’s files, though, along with a picture of how I looked back then. That thought brought a smile to my face, knowing the only way Steve would believe who I said I was would be by donning that face again. Her thumb softly ran on my cheek as a tear fell, betraying me. Looking back up I smile at her and she lets me go to pack the few things she’d need for her trip. 

We stay silent as she finishes, not wanting to ruin the minutes before she departs to be filled with words. Just the comfort our presences give one another. Bag zipped and the small arsenal on her body secured, she glances at me with a warm smile. “Моя любовь, can I ask a favor,” she asks as if I wouldn’t find a way to give her the moon if she requested it of me. “Anything,” I say with a smile. “I want to see your face before I go...just for a moment,” the words came out as a whisper and I couldn’t deny her. I move to stand in front of her and let the olive skin, green eyes, and caramel hair melt into my porcelain skin, deep chocolate eyes, and pitch black hair. She gazes down at my features that are Asian in origin and smiles, running her thumb along my plump bottom lip as my lips curl into a wide grin. A soft kiss is placed on my lips, a rarity she doesn’t normally get the chance to give to me, and she’s gone before I can blink.  _ She’s like a whisper in the wind.  _ Her presence was at most times ephemeral, but I have a strong feeling she wants that to change and I’d rather die than to stop her. The rest of the day held little interest for me, resorting to maintaining my katana blade. Meals were brought to me on a tray, which held high quality food and a whiskey straight.  _ Leave it to Fury to remember my drink.  _ Slowly, the time came for sleep and Natasha wasn’t back yet so I rested peacefully the whole night.

  
  


Waking up was never a good quality of mine, I preferred to stay where I was all bundled up and the addition of Natasha’s scent on the pillow was what kept me in bed until 10 in the morning. Unless I had coffee as soon as I rose, I was a menace to society. Incessant ringing woke me and I was about ready to chuck my phone at the wall when I recognized that it was Nat’s ring. Fumbling to answer, I hit the accept button and spoke before she did. “Are you back?!” Although she sighed I could practically hear the curl of her lip through the phone. “Моя любовь, I’m half an hour out. I wanted to know if you wanted something from our favorite place,” she breathed out and I practically swooned. My order from that place was burned into her memory and always knew I’d never turn it down, so the call itself was just her missing me. “Of course, Моя любовь, like I’d ever turn you down,” I responded and she knew I meant that in every sense of what I was implying. Expertly, she covered the groan with a cough as I chuckled. The call ended and I got ready for the day, dropping all of the glamour I wore previously onto the craft, but still kept my battle clothes in my leather bag. 

Finishing the braid in my black hair that fell to my hips, I checked the mirror if I forgot anything. Black combat boots, dark gray cargo pants lined with Kevlar in the high friction areas, a heather gray woven ribbed Kevlar tank top tucked under my belt, thigh and chest harnesses meant for my weapons, and detached compression sleeves covered in Kevlar. The scars on my hands, shoulders and lower neck were visible, but they weren’t of importance. Usually I kept the scar that ran from my upper right temple to a quarter inch below my inner left tear duct hidden under glamour. I decided against it today and made my way to the conference area of the upper bridge to meet with Natasha. As I made my way there, many agents starred while I quickened my pace. I haven’t shown anyone outside of my soulmates and Fury what I really look like under my glamour, now strange eyes were following me down the corridor. My anxiety was rising until I saw Natasha, causing me to all but run into her arms as she caught me in the corner of her eye. Her embrace gave me sweet relief, but three other soul marks sparked to life the second I was in the room. Natasha felt it, too, but remained silent as she pulled back to look me over. For a moment, no one said a thing. I felt like an exposed nerve without my glamour and three more of my soulmates were now in the room. 

A gentle, feminine hand cupped the back of my neck and Natasha’s thumb rubbed soothing circles at the base of my skull. It was soothing enough to coax me into turning around and looking at the rest of the men in the area. Anthony Stark, Bruce Banner, and Steve Rogers all stood as still as statues like they’d seen a ghost. They had to be feeling the activated soul marks, but it was Steve that moved first. He stepped forward and I shot my hand up to stop him. Slowly I made eye contact with him and a stray tear made its way down my face as I worked up the courage to speak. After two minutes, looking into those ocean blues, I let out a breath and started, “Hey Stevie-boy, I got off at the wrong stop, but looks like I made it on time.” The flinch I got from using the unused nickname made my heart burn with ache. Quickly, I put on the glamour I used way back then and cracked a hopeful smile. I saw the moment he registered who I was back then to the woman in front of him now. Stunned silence weighed on us all, understandable since he’s seeing the ghost of one of his soulmates in person and tangible. In a split second, he’d crossed the room and scooped me into his arms. If a few tears fell onto the crown of my head while mild trembling took over his towering frame, I’d never tell another soul. 

Pulling back to look at me, he starred as I dropped the glamour to my natural face. Gawking at me, he still held on as he began voicing his thoughts. “Penny, how are you still alive? It’s been 70 years. Let alone falling into a deep ravine while holding onto Buck? You sho-,”he doesn’t finish as my index finger interrupts him. “Stevie-boy, as much as I need to explain everything to you, we have an…other-worldly dilemma. We got a comet riding cowboy with our favorite blue box at his disposal and our soulmate, Clint Barton, along with science twerp, Erik Slevig. So,” Pausing I look around the room, stopping at the two other soulmates who look ready to dissect my abilities, and continue, “who’s getting this show on the road?” In the corner of my eye, I see Natasha inch closer and I smile. We all gather at the table with Fury leading the conversation and part once we all have our tasks...except for me. Fury told everyone that I had been given previous and unrelated tasks, but he and I had our own huddle. 

Agent Hill handed me some type of tablet device while Fury gave me the rundown. The video played, showing me the scepter touching both Barton and Slevig’s chest while emitting a blue light that sunk in and changed their eye color. “We believe they’re under some type of alien mind control. Given your...expertise on the mind, I need you to see if you can figure out a way to break it,” his voice gave nothing away. I nodded in confirmation, but unlike anyone else apparently, I noticed that the man who was Loki also had the same shade of blue illuminating his irises. “Where’s Banner’s and Stark's lab? I need to analyze this.” A rare chuckle came from the man and he nodded to the device. “Directions are on there and it has voice recognition. Ask and you will receive.” Nothing more was to be said as we both went our separate ways with a weird piece of technology guiding me. 

Entering the modern lab, I slid the tablet onto a surface near the door and crossed my arms over my chest and stuck out my hip as I looked at my science men with a smirk. They were quick to start the bantering, making me chuckle. Both stop and look to me, Tony being the first to speak to me. “So, today is a day of space and soulmates. Tell me, you do the shape shifting thing in front of everyone or are we just special?” I snort and shake my head. “Mr. Stark, I believe that introductions are the first thing we need to address before we dive into the fact that for the first time in 676 years, more than one person knows my real face,” if the dumb look on not only his face, but Banners as well, is anything to go by I’d say I successfully shut up Tony Stark. 

Banner was next, “Yo-you’re 676 years old? H-how is that possible? Cells, no matter the species, break down…” he was trying to figure out how it worked. Not that I’d be able to help. I’ve done absolutely everything possible to stay out of every record I could. I don’t even know my blood type. Walking up to him, I held out my hand for greetings. “I’m Yamamoto Akane, I’m 676 years old, and I’m what is referred to as a kyuubi no kitsune in Japanese lore. Although, that’s not entirely correct as to what I am, it’s the closest I can relate to.” I smile widely as he takes my hand and the electric feeling of the mark activating fills us, bringing a smile to his face as well. It’s soft and comforting, if not a little unused. Rubbing my thumb on the back of his hand for a second, I gave it a squeeze before letting go and turning to Tony. Looking at him, I could practically see the ticking of the cogs in his mind, trying to put together a puzzle that was impossible to solve. Holding out my hand, I wait as he hesitantly takes it, which is a bit out of character given who he is. Unlike the other marks, his rests above my heart and the touch makes my heart race as it activates, causing both of us to gasp and squeeze each other’s hand a little harder. With the marks that are activated, I can get subtle hints as to what my soulmates feel, but the amount of anxiety that washes over me isn’t my own and is almost crippling. My gaze shoots up to meet his, tears misting my eyes as the emotions run through me. Seeing this, Tony scrambles to dampen what he’s feeling and possibly relieve me of what I know. Not having any of that, I cup his cheek and let out comforting sounds, slightly relaxing him. “We’ll have time to talk, I promise. Now, what do you have on that space stick?” The change in topic and focus was exactly what he needed. As soon as the words left my mouth, both of them went off on their dual explanation. I made my way over to the tablet and brought it to a stool that was out of the way as they worked. 

Terms of gamma radiation and signatures were being tossed back and forth, for a few hours, and as they got closer to finding the scepter, Loki, the scientist, and my archer, the more I realized that the scepter had the ability to alter the mind or will. Getting the attention of Tony, I went over to him and showed him the video for all three people we’re looking for. The correlation between the two who we see have the scepter touched to their chest and how all three have their eyes changed rose the fear that I already had into the both of them. The next to speak was Banner and it sent dread through all of us. “We have not only a master physicist possibly building something for an alien god and a highly trained successful spy under the mind control of said alien god, but the alien god himself appears to be under mind control. But my question is, who’s controlling the alien god?”

  
  


A bit later, we (Rogers, Romanov, and myself) were aboard a quinjet heading to Germany. Loki’s location pinged and triangulated there where a gala was being held. I had told everyone who hadn’t been in the room my conclusion that we had three parties that were under the influence of another's will, not two. However, the first party was under the control of an unknown subject. The question of how I knew what mind control looked like was asked, but the silence I gave was the only thing Steve was going to get. Since I had dressed for action earlier, all I had to bring was my sets of knives and my katana. 

Steve’s gaze was heavy on my back, trying to figure out what wasn’t said about the mind control and why I never told him what I really was back during the war. How could I tell a regular man what I was? I looked like a fairytale creature, part human, part fox. Sometimes a 15 foot snow white fox with nine tails and red markings going up my back and tails. My forms would be considered witchcraft, blasphemy, and the devils work. I wasn’t fond of people attempting to burn me alive…again. So I couldn’t, right? I couldn’t tell him because what if others found out? They’d kill him and Bucky, too, just for being my ‘mates. A spark shooting down my spine brought me out of my reverie, letting me know that Tony and Bruce activated their bond.  _ They’ll be fine,  _ I thought to myself. From what Fury and Tasha told me, both were very untrusting of people, which isn’t a surprise, but it was a surprise that they were so much like the other that I thought they’d have done this the second they saw each other. 

Not long after the bond between those two ignited, the quinjet was 10 minutes out from Stuttgart when Steve approached me. The apprehension was oozing off of him as he sat next to me, the questions he wanted to ask being held back either by his need not impose or the timing of the situation. Glancing at him, all I wanted to do was to tell him everything and rub the furrow out of his brow like I used to.  _ I miss that soft look he has when I do that... _ the thought lingered for a second before I did just that. I raised my hand and cupped the side of his face before rubbing my thumb above the center of his brows. A soft, vulnerable sound similar to a whimper escaped him; sad longing and familiarity etched into his face before easing into the expression from my memory.  _ This is probably the closest thing that comes to normal for him since he woke up. _ A silent tear fell down his face as he brought our foreheads together, “Pen- well I guess it’s Akane now, I can’t begin to tell you how much I’ve missed you, Doll. Wh-when you and Buck fell...I swore to God that I thought I died, too. Promise, please, swear to me that you won't do anything like that again. I-I couldn’t handle it if you were taken from me a second time…” quiet sobs stopped him from continuing, but I felt exactly what he did in this moment. I knew of only one way to calm him and I did just that.

I kissed him and kissed him hard. All of the loneliness, longing, loss, grief, and relief I had felt for him for the last 70 years was put into that kiss, which he gave back in spades. Before I let it go farther I pulled away and wiped his tears away, “Stevie-boy, as  _ MUCH  _ as I’d love to get reacquainted, we have a mission and a conversation that needs to happen before that. I promise we’ll talk, but it’s time to get your shield and prepare to jump.” After a second, we smirked at each other and got to business. I went up to Natasha, only kissing her goodbye, while he got his shield and opened the ramp. With one last look at each other, Steve jumps first and I follow a second later. Air rushing around me, I watched as Steve hurdled to the street below and I aimed for the rooftops around the square. Landing in a summersault, I rolled to the edge and jumped a second time as Steve landed on the ground running. Before I made it to the edge of the kneeling crowd, Steve had already stood tall in front of the old man Loki had shot the scepter at, “Ya know, the last time I was in Germany, and saw a man standing above everybody else, we ended up disagreeing.” Loki was transfixed on the super soldier, watching as he made his way towards him. I wasn’t too far behind, watching carefully as Loki got up and decided it was time. Orange light ignited in my eyes as I unsheathe my katana, nine tails of white and red markings materialized behind me; yellow, orange, and red sparks of energy danced around me while I stared at the black and green clad man. Loki sneered, “The soldier and the fox, the man out of time. And the creature who no one knows.”  _ He knows of me?  _ I wasn’t able to entertain that thought as sounds of the turbines whirred. Behind us Natasha pulled the quinjet to a hover at the square’s edge as Steve continued, “I’m not the one out of time.” Guns descended from the aircraft with Natasha handing out her warning, “Loki, drop the weapon and stand down.” She had barely finished speaking as Loki shot off a blast from the glowing scepter. “Well, this is going to be interesting…” is all I was able to muster before we broke into a fight.

  
  
  



End file.
